Artlife.

“Ten Quarts” Thirst Bucket Series

Orange Crush

“4.16 Overflow Gallons”

I‘m a visual learner, big surprise, so for me to understand how something relates to another, having those visual aides really help me out. Especially when it comes to art. I remember when I used to work at a framing shop while I was in college, we sold prints mostly, then framed them to order. Well, just about every time I had to frame a Mark Rothko I’d always think to myself, “I don’t get it, a kid could do that.” I didn’t know any better. I had never been in the same room as an actual Rothko. The day I was finally in the pressence of a Rothko, I finally understood what that print couldn’t convey. The sheer majesty and awe of overwhelming fields of emotion, the color, the depth. It crept into my soul. Having a print of a Rothko is like having your vacation photo from paradise posted on your fridge. It’s a memory of a feeling. We satiate our desires with these replicas. I mean, we all can’t live in paradise everyday or else it wouldn’t be paradise any longer. And it’s certainly not like just anyone can afford, let alone have enough room, to own their very own Mark Rothko for their own private collection.

This day & age, with shopping online and doing just about most activities through our mobile devices or computers, all we do is see flat screens and our brain fills in the gaps. I’ve ordered enough things through the internet, only to end up saying, “This ain’t what I bought!?” So I understand the importance of “Real Life” and that nothing will replace the physical experience of being up close and personal with a work of art. With all of that in mind, these photos attempt to illustrate the physical form in terms of scale, as well as interior lifestyle environments rather than neutral museum vacuums.
Paintings & Photography by Justin W John